Little Red Riding Hood

Little Red Riding Hood

Once upon a time in the middle of a thick forest stood a small cottage, the home of a pretty little girl known to everyone as Little Red Riding Hood. One day, her Mummy waved her goodbye at the garden gate, saying: "Grandma is ill. Take her this basket of cakes, but be very careful. Keep to the path through the wood and don't ever stop. That way, you will come to no harm."

Little Red Riding Hood kissed her mother and ran off. "Don't worry," she said, "I'll run all the way to Grandma's without stopping."

Full of good intentions, the little girl made her way through the wood, but she was soon to forget her mother's wise words. "What lovely strawberries! And so red."

Laying her basket on the ground, Little Red Riding Hood bent over the strawberry plants. "They're nice and ripe, and so big! Yummy! Delicious! Just another one. And one more. This is the last. Well, this one Mmmm." The red fruit peeped invitingly through the leaves in the grassy glade, and Little Red Riding Hood ran back and forth popping strawberries into her mouth. Suddenly she remembered her mother, her promise, Grandma and the basket and hurried back towards the path. The basket was still in the grass and, humming to herself, Little Red Riding Hood walked on. 


The wood became thicker and thicker. Suddenly a yellow butterfly fluttered down through the trees. Little Red Riding Hood started to chase the butterfly.

"I'll catch you! I'll catch you!" she called. Suddenly she saw some large daisies in the grass.

"Oh, how sweet!" she exclaimed and, thinking of Grandma, she picked a large bunch of flowers.

In the meantime, two wicked eyes were spying on her from behind a tree a strange rustling in the woods made Little Red Riding Hood's heart thump.

Now quite afraid she said to herself. "I must find the path and run away from here!"

At last she reached the path again but her heart leapt into her mouth at the sound of a gruff voice which said: "Where are you going, my pretty girl, all alone in the woods?"

"I'm taking Grandma some cakes. She lives at the end of the path," said Little Riding Hood in a faint voice.

When he heard this, the wolf (for it was the big bad wolf himself) politely asked: "Does Grandma live by herself?"

"Oh, yes," replied Little Red Riding Hood, "and she never opens the door to strangers!"

"Goodbye. Perhaps we'll meet again," replied the wolf. Then he loped away thinking to himself "I'll gobble the grandmother first, then lie in wait for the grandchild!" At last, the cottage came in sight. Knock! Knock! The wolf rapped on the door.

"Who's there?" cried Grandma from her bed.

"It's me, Little Red Riding Hood. I've brought you some cakes because you're ill," replied the wolf, trying hard to hide his gruff voice.

"Lift the latch and come in," said Grandma, unaware of anything amiss, till a horrible shadow appeared on the wall. Poor Grandma! For in one bound, the wolf leapt across the room and, in a single mouthful, swallowed the old lady. Soon after, Little Red Riding Hood tapped on the door.

"Grandma, can I come in?" she called.

Now, the wolf had put on the old lady's shawl and cap and slipped into the bed. Trying to imitate Grandma's quavering little voice, he replied: "Open the latch and come in!

"What a deep voice you have," said the little girl in surprise.

"The better to greet you with," said the wolf.

"Goodness, what big eyes you have."

"The better to see you with."

"And what big hands you have!" exclaimed Little Red Riding Hood, stepping over to the bed.

"The better to hug you with," said the wolf.

"What a big mouth you have," the little girl murmured in a weak voice.

"The better to eat you with!" growled the wolf, and jumping out of bed, he swallowed her up too. Then, with a fat full tummy, he fell fast asleep.

In the meantime, a hunter had emerged from the wood, and on noticing the cottage, he decided to stop and ask for a drink. He had spent a lot of time trying to catch a large wolf that had been terrorizing the neighborhood, but had lost its tracks. The hunter could hear a strange whistling sound; it seemed to be coming from inside the cottage. He peered through the window and saw the large wolf himself, with a fat full tummy, snoring away in Grandma's bed.

"The wolf! He won't get away this time!"

Without making a sound, the hunter carefully loaded his gun and gently opened the window. He pointed the barrel straight at the wolf's head and BANG! The wolf was dead.

"Got you at last!" shouted the hunter in glee. "You'll never frighten anyone again.

He cut open the wolf's stomach and to his amazement, out popped Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, safe and unharmed.

"You arrived just in time," murmured the old lady, quite overcome by all the excitement.

"It's safe to go home now," the hunter told Little Red Riding Hood. "The big bad wolf is dead and gone, and there is no danger on the path.

Still scared, the little girl hugged her grandmother. Oh, what a dreadful fright!"

Much later, as dusk was falling, Little Red Riding Hood's mother arrived, all out of breath, worried because her little girl had not come home. And when she saw Little Red Riding Hood, safe and sound, she burst into tears of joy.

After thanking the hunter again, Little Red Riding Hood and her mother set off towards the wood. As they walked quickly through the trees, the little girl told her mother: "We must always keep to the path and never stop. That way, we come to no harm!" 

Hansel dan Gretel

Hansel dan Gretel

Once upon a time a very poor woodcutter lived in a tiny cottage in the forest with his two children, Hansel and Gretel. His second wife often ill-treated the children and was forever nagging the woodcutter.

"There is not enough food in the house for us all. There are too many mouths to feed! We must get rid of the two brats," she declared. And she kept on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest.

"Take them miles from home, so far that they can never find their way back! Maybe someone will find them and give them a home." The downcast woodcutter didn't know what to do. Hansel who, one evening, had overheard his parents' conversation, comforted Gretel.

"Don't worry! If they do leave us in the forest, we'll find the way home," he said. And slipping out of the house he filled his pockets with little white pebbles, then went back to bed.

All night long, the woodcutter's wife harped on and on at her husband till, at dawn, he led Hansel and Gretel away into the forest. But as they went into the depths of the trees, Hansel dropped a little white pebble here and there on the mossy green ground. At a certain point, the two children found they really were alone: the woodcutter had plucked up enough courage to desert them, had mumbled an excuse and was gone.

Night fell but the woodcutter did not return. Gretel began to sob bitterly. Hansel too felt scared but he tried to hide his feelings and comfort his sister.

"Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home even if Father doesn't come back for us!" Luckily the moon was full that night and Hansel waited till its cold light filtered through the trees.

"Now give me your hand!" he said. "We'll get home safely, you'll see!" The tiny white pebbles gleamed in the moonlight, and the children found their way home. They crept through a half open window, without wakening their parents. Cold, tired but thankful to be home again, they slipped into bed. 

Next day, when their stepmother discovered that Hansel and Gretel had returned, she went into a rage. Stifling her anger in front of the children, she locked her bedroom door, reproaching her husband for failing to carry out her orders. The weak woodcutter protested, torn as he was between shame and fear of disobeying his cruel wife. The wicked stepmother kept Hansel and Gretel under lock and key all day with nothing for supper but a sip of water and some hard bread. All night, husband and wife quarreled, and when dawn came, the woodcutter led the children out into the forest.

Hansel, however, had not eaten his bread, and as he walked through the trees, he left a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way. But the little boy had forgotten about the hungry birds that lived in the forest. When they saw him, they flew along behind and in no time at all, had eaten all the crumbs. Again, with a lame excuse, the woodcutter left his two children by  themselves.

"I've left a trail, like last time!" Hansel whispered to Gretel, consolingly. But when night fell, they saw to their horror, that all the crumbs had gone.

"I'm frightened!" wept Gretel bitterly. "I'm cold and hungry and I want to go home!"

"Don't be afraid. I'm here to look after you!" Hansel tried to encourage his sister, but he too shivered when he glimpsed frightening shadows and evil eyes around them in the darkness. All night the two children huddled together for warmth at the foot of a large tree.

When dawn broke, they started to wander about the forest, seeking a path, but all hope soon faded. They were well and truly lost. On they walked and walked, till suddenly they came upon a strange cottage in the middle of a glade.

"This is chocolate!" gasped Hansel as he broke a lump of plaster from the wall.

"And this is icing!" exclaimed Gretel, putting another piece of wall in her mouth. Starving but delighted, the children began to eat pieces of candy broken off the cottage.

"Isn't this delicious?" said Gretel, with her mouth full. She had never tasted anything so nice.

"We'll stay here," Hansel declared, munching a bit of nougat. They were just about to try a piece of the biscuit door when it quietly swung open.

"Well, well!" said an old woman, peering out with a crafty look. "And haven't you children a sweet tooth?"

"Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!" went on the old woman. Unluckily for Hansel and Gretel, however, the sugar candy cottage belonged to an old witch, her trap for catching unwary victims. The two children had come to a really nasty place.

"You're nothing but skin and bones!" said the witch, locking Hansel into a cage. I shall fatten you up and eat you!"

"You can do the housework," she told Gretel grimly, "then I'll make a meal of you too!" As luck would have it, the witch had very bad eyesight, an when Gretel smeared butter on her glasses, she could see even less.

"Let me feel your finger!" said the witch to Hansel every day to check if he was getting any fatter. Now, Gretel had brought her brother a chicken bone, and when the witch went to touch his finger, Hansel held out the bone.

"You're still much too thin!" she complained. When will you become plump?" One day the witch grew tired of waiting.

"Light the oven," she told Gretel. "We're going to have a tasty roasted boy today!" A little later, hungry and impatient, she went on: "Run and see if the oven is hot enough." Gretel returned, whimpering: "I can't tell if it is hot enough or not." Angrily, the witch screamed at the little girl: "Useless child! All right, I'll see for myself." But when the witch bent down to peer inside the oven and check the heat, Gretel gave her a tremendous push and slammed the oven door shut. The witch had come to a fit and proper end. Gretel ran to set her brother free and they made quite sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch. Indeed, just to be on the safe side, they fastened it firmly with a large padlock. Then they stayed for several days to eat some more of the house, till they discovered amongst the witch's belongings, a huge chocolate egg. Inside lay a casket of gold coins.

"The witch is now burnt to a cinder," said Hansel, "so we'll take this treasure with us." They filled a large basket with food and set off into the forest to search for the way home. This time, luck was with them, and on the second day, they saw their father come out of the house towards them, weeping.

"Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children!" The two children hugged the woodcutter.

"Promise you'll never ever desert us again," said Gretel, throwing her arms round her father's neck. Hansel opened the casket.

"Look, Father! We're rich now . . . You'll never have to chop wood again."

And they all lived happily together ever after.

Beauty and the Beast

 Beauty and the Beast

 

Once upon a time as a merchant set off for market, he asked each of his three daughters what she would like as a present on his return. The first daughter wanted a brocade dress, the second a pearl necklace, but the third, whose name was Beauty, the youngest, prettiest and sweetest of them all, said to her father:  

 "All I'd like is a rose you've picked specially for me!"   

When the merchant had finished his business, he set off for home. However, a sudden storm blew up, and his horse could hardly make headway in the howling gale. Cold and weary, the merchant had lost all hope of reaching an inn when he suddenly noticed a bright light shining in the middle of a wood. As he drew near, he saw that it was a castle, bathed in light.   

"I hope I'll find shelter there for the night," he said to himself. 

When he reached the door, he saw it was open, but though he shouted, nobody came to greet him. Plucking up courage, he went inside, still calling out to attract attention. On a table in the main hall, a splendid dinner lay already served. The merchant lingered, still shouting for the owner of the castle. But no one came, and so the starving merchant sat down to a hearty meal.  
Overcome by curiosity, he ventured upstairs, where the corridor led into magnificent rooms and halls. A fire crackled in the first room and a soft bed looked very inviting. It was now late, and the merchant could not resist. He lay down on the bed and fell fast asleep. 

When he woke next morning, an unknown hand had placed a mug of steaming coffee and some fruit by his bedside.  The merchant had breakfast and after tidying himself up, went downstairs to thank his generous host. But, as on the evening before, there was nobody in sight. Shaking his head in wonder at the strangeness of it all, he went towards the garden where he had left his horse, tethered to a tree. 

Suddenly, a large rose bush caught his eye.  Remembering his promise to Beauty, he bent down to pick a rose. Instantly, out of the rose garden, sprang a horrible beast, wearing splendid clothes. Two bloodshot eyes, gleaming angrily, glared at him and a deep, terrifying voice growled: 

"Ungrateful man! I gave you shelter, you ate at my table and slept in my own bed, but now all the thanks I get is the theft of my favorite flowers! I shall put you to death for this slight!" 

Trembling with fear, the merchant fell on his knees before the Beast.  "Forgive me! Forgive me! Don't kill me! I'll do anything you say! The rose wasn't for me, it was for my daughter Beauty. I promised to bring her back a rose from my journey!" 

The Beast dropped the paw it had clamped on the unhappy merchant.   

"I shall spare your life, but on one condition, that you bring me your daughter!" The terror-stricken merchant, faced with certain death if he did not obey, promised that he would do so. When he reached home in tears, his three daughters ran to greet him. After he had told them of his dreadful adventure, Beauty put his mind at rest immediately.

 
"Dear father, I'd do anything for you! Don't worry, you'll be able to keep your promise and save your life! Take me to the castle. I'll stay there in your place!" The merchant hugged his daughter.  

"I never did doubt your love for me. For the moment I can only thank you for saving my life." So Beauty was led to the castle. The Beast, however, had quite an unexpected greeting for the girl. Instead of menacing doom as it had done with her father, it was surprisingly pleasant.  

In the beginning, Beauty was frightened of the Beast, and shuddered at the sight of it. Then she found that, in spite of the monster's awful head, her horror of it was gradually fading as time went by. 

She had one of the finest rooms in the Castle, and sat for hours, embroidering in front of the fire. And the Beast would sit, for hours on end, only a short distance away, silently gazing at her. Then it started to say a few kind words, till in the end, Beauty was amazed to discover that she was actually enjoying its conversation. The days passed, and Beauty and the Beast became good friends. 

Then one day, the Beast asked the girl to be his wife.  Taken by surprise, Beauty did not know what to say. Marry such an ugly monster? She would rather die! But she did not want to  hurt the feelings of one who, after all, had been kind to her. And she remembered too that she owed it her own life as well as her father's.   

"I really can't say yes," she began shakily. "I'd so much like to..." The Beast interrupted her with an abrupt gesture.   

"I quite understand! And I'm not offended by your refusal!" Life went on as usual, and nothing further was said. 

One day, the Beast presented Beauty with a magnificent magic mirror. When Beauty peeped into it, she could see her family, far away.   

"You won't feel so lonely now," were the words that accompanied the gift. Beauty stared for hours at her distant family. Then she began to feel worried. One day, the Beast found her weeping beside the magic mirror.   

"What's wrong?" he asked, kindly as always.               

"My father is gravely ill and close to dying! Oh, how I wish I could see him again, before it's too late!" But the Beast only shook its head.  "No! You will never leave this castle!" And off it stalked in a rage. 

However, a little later, it returned and spoke solemnly to the girl.  

"If you swear that you will return here in seven days time, I'll let you go and visit your father!" Beauty threw herself at the Beast's feet in delight.  "I swear! I swear I will! How kind you are! You've made a loving daughter so happy!" In reality, the merchant had fallen ill from a broken heart at knowing his daughter was being kept prisoner. When he embraced her again, he was soon on the road to recovery. 

Beauty stayed beside him for hours on end, describing her life at the Castle, and explaining that the Beast was really good and kind. The days flashed past, and at last the merchant was able to leave his bed. He was completely well again. Beauty was happy at last. However, she had failed to notice that seven days had gone by.  Then one night she woke from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamt that the Beast was dying and calling for her, twisting in agony.   

"Come back! Come back to me!" it was pleading. The solemn  promise she had made drove her to leave home immediately.  "Hurry! Hurry, good horse!" she said, whipping her steed onwards towards the castle, afraid that she might arrive too late. She rushed up the stairs, calling, but there was no reply. Her heart in her mouth, Beauty ran into the garden and there crouched the Beast, its eyes shut, as though dead. Beauty threw herself at it and hugged it tightly.  

"Don't die! Don't die! I'll marry you . . ." At these words, a miracle took place. The Beast's ugly snout turned magically into the face of a handsome young man.  "How I've been longing for this moment!" he said. "I was suffering in silence, and couldn't tell my frightful secret. An evil witch turned me into a monster and only the love of a maiden willing to accept me as I was, could transform me back into my real self. My dearest! I'll be so happy if you'll marry me."  The wedding took place shortly after and, from that day on, the young Prince would have nothing but roses in his gardens. And that's why, to this day, the castle is known as the Castle of the Rose.

Arjuna "Mencari Cinta"

Arjuna "Mencari Cinta"

 

Once there was a king of evil from the kingdom of Iman Imantaka whose name is Niwata Kawaca. He was a powerful and cruel king who had conquered many kingdoms. The invincible king then had another ambition. He wanted to marry a beautiful angel from the heaven of god whose name is Dewi Supraba. He came to god Indra to propose for the beautiful angel. But the god refused. He thought that the king was not a good husband for the angel. The king was so angry that he decided to attack Kingdom of god Indra. The army of Niwata Kawaca proved to be very strong. The army of god was easily defeated. Luckily the god managed to close the gate. Then the god's palace was besieged by the army of Niwata Kawaca.

Then the god Indra decided to ask for help of human being. His choice fell into Arjuna, the third son of Pandu. At that time Arjuna was meditating in Mount Indrakila. He was meditating there to pray and to search for spiritual power that he needed to face the great war of Barata yudha (war of the Barata family). God Indra wanted to test his spiritual power to know whether he was fit for the battle with Niwata Kawaca. Indra sent seven beautiful angels to tease Arjuna. Two of the most beautiful ones were Supraba and Tilottama. They used their beauty to tease him but Arjuna was proved to be a true hero. He could resist their temptation. Indra was sure that Arjuna was the right person to overcome the problem.
 

Meanwhile King Niwata Kawaca realized that there was a hero who could be a threat to his power. That's why he decided to eliminate the potential threat. He sent a monster that could change himself into a wild boar. His name was Momong Murka. Momong Murka came to the village where Arjuna was doing ascetics. As he got there soon he changed himself into a giant wild bore and destroyed the village. Arjuna did not let him do further damage so he fought back. The wild boar was so strong that he was forced to use his new weapon. He attacked the wild boar with an arrow and it was killed instantly. But as he came closer to take a look at it he was very surprised to see another hero stood by it arrogantly.
 

Arjuna said politely:
 

'Excuse me; let me take a look at the wild boar. I just shot it with my arrow'
 

'Excuse me, did you shoot it? Look this is my arrow', the hero said.
 

'Of course I shot it. This is my arrow'
 

'But I shot it first. You just followed me'

 

The quarrel became so tense that they were both became very angry. The two heroes fought fiercely but finally the other hero could beat Arjuna. As he sat in the ground suddenly the hero changed into god Syiwa. Arjuna was shocked so he saluted the god immediately.
 

'I beg your pardon your holiness, I did not realized your presence'
 

'Arjuna, you are truly a hero. You have reached a highest level of spirituality. That's why I give you a special arrow called Pasopati. It was special because it had extraordinary spiritual power. No one could resist it. Be careful'
Not long after that Syiwa disappeared like smoke. Arjuna was then a very powerful hero. Just as he was about to go home to Indraprasta, an emissary from Indra came to see him. He asked Arjuna to help Indra fight King Niwata Kawaca. Arjuna agreed to help because he realized that it was his duty as a hero to protect anyone who needs his help.
 

In the heaven of god Indra, a discussion was held to overcome the threat of King Niwata Kawaca. Indra told Arjuna that Niwata Kawaca was unbeatable. He was very strong and he could resist any kinds of weapon, even the most lethal ones. His victims were countless. So they had to find out a strategy. Arjuna decided to find out the secret of his weakness. He ordered Supraba, the most beautiful angel, to surrender to King Niwata Kawaca. But it is only a trick to search for his weakness. Arjuna would protect her from a distant. He had a spiritual mystical power that could make him invisible.
 

Indra and Supraba agreed to the plan. So one day Supraba came to kingdom of Iman Imantaka to see King Niwata Kawaca. Arjuna who was invisible kept guarding her. The King was very happy to welcome her.
'Your Majesty King Niwata Kawaca. The Most Glorious king of Iman Imantaka. I am honored to be your servant. Let me serve you with all of my heart'
'O, my dear one. I have been waiting for this happy moment. But why you leave the heaven of Indra?
 

'I do not find happiness, your Majesty. I am sure I will find it here'
King Niwata Kawaca had fallen in love to Supraba for a long time. He did not realize that it was only a trick. Supraba kept praising him so Niwata Kawaca was flattered and he lost control of his emotion. Then Supraba asked about his power.
 

'Your Majesty, the most powerful king in the world. What makes you very powerful?'
 

'Supraba, long time ago gods gave me a special power after I done ascetics. I became very powerful and unbeatable. No weapon could do any harm to me. Except for one thing'
 

'What is that?'
 

'My only weakness is my tongue. If it is hit, I will be killed instantly'
Arjuna who stood by Supraba heard that. But he was invisible. Soon he went out of the palace and destroyed the front gate of the palace. When the soldiers were busy hunting for him Arjuna went back to the palace and saved Supraba. They fled to the heaven of Indra.
 

King Niwata Kawaca was very angry to hear that Supraba had escaped. He realized that god Indra and Arjuna were behind the event. So he immediately prepared his army to invade the heaven of Indra. He had a strong army of monsters.
 

As the army arrived in the heaven of Indra they stormed it. The army of god was no match for the mighty army of Iman Imantaka. King Niwata Kawaca who was very angry shouted:
 

'Indra, Arjuna, come out of you bedroom. Be a real man. Come on, fight me'
Then Arjuna came to fight him. Niwata Kawaca who realized that his secret had revealed fought very carefully although he was very angry. He never opened his mouth. Consequently it was very difficult for Arjuna to beat him. Then Arjuna tried a different strategy. When Niwata Kawaca hit him, he fell to the ground and cried.
 

'Please have mercy. I just followed order from my god. Let me live'
Niwata Kawaca was very satisfied when he saw Arjuna fell and then sat helplessly on the ground. He was sure that he won the fight.
'I thought you are a real hero Arjuna. I thought you are a tough enemy. I never know that you are a chicken'
Arjuna kept on begging.
 

'I am just an ordinary guy who searches for a living. I am not responsible for this. Please let me go'
 

'On one condition, do you endorse that I am your king?'
'Yes, absolutely, your majesty, great king of Iman Imantaka'
Niwata Kawaca was very satisfied. He laughed out loud.
 

'Ha, ha, ha, little coward,.......'
 

He was just about to finish his words when an arrow suddenly broke into his mouth. The mighty Pasopati arrow from Arjuna went through his mouth and hit his tongue. Niwata Kawaca was killed instantly. His army was shocked and soon they were demoralized. They had no choice but to surrender to the army of god.
 

The god Indra was very satisfied with Arjuna's contribution. So he gave him a great reward.
 

'Arjuna, Now that a threat to human and god had disappeared. You really have a great contribution to god and to all humanity. So I decided to give you a reward. You will marry the seven angels'
Arjuna married the most beautiful angels of heaven including Supraba and Tilottama. After that he stayed in heaven for seven months. But then he had to leave heaven. Finally he left them and returned to Indraprastha to serve for his country and his family.